Stanford,mirror images face off

Mark Soltau, OF THE EXAMINER STAFF

Published 4:00 am, Monday, March 13, 1995

STANFORD - Although having never met, Stanford and the University of North Carolina-Charlotte seem like mirror images. Both finished the regular season 19-8, have talented sophomore point guards, 7-foot centers, play tough defense and led their conferences in free-throw shooting.

The similarities don't end there. Each will be making their fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament Friday when they meet in a first-round game of the East Regional at Albany, N.Y. Plus, each team is sparked by a reckless reserve guard, both juniors, who have overcome adversity. Stanford's David Harbour nearly lost his right thumb in a water skiing accident in 1992, while UNC-Charlotte's Bruce Patterson was shot four times during a robbery his freshman year and still carries three bullets in his body.

UNC-Charlotte won the Metro Conference, but has lost three of its last four games, including a 60-56 loss to Southern Miss. last Saturday in the semifinals of the conference tournament. Still, the 49ers have Metro Player of the Year Jarvis Lang, a fifth-year power forward, and their coach, Jeff Mullins, a former standout with the Golden State Warriors, has a deep bench and often uses nine players.

"All I know is they won their conference and it's a good conference," said Stanford coach Mike Montgomery, who also led the Cardinal to NCAA berths in 1988-89 and 1991-92.

Actually, he knows more. Montgomery recruited UNC-Charlotte point guard Roderick Howard, and has played golf with Mullins. By Monday night, you can be sure the Cardinal coaching staff will be well acquainted with the 49ers, who beat host Santa Clara in the Cable Car Classic last season.

Stanford enters the tournament with a two-game winning streak, having swept the Washington schools to secure the bid. Admittedly the Cards, who tied for fifth in the Pac-10 Conference, haven't shot well from the outside in recent games, but have compensated with defense, hustle, tenacity and clutch free throw shooting.

The 49ers are seeded seventh, Stanford 10th, with the winner to meet No. 2 seed Massachusetts or 15th-seed St. Peters on Sunday.

Although Montgomery's previous two teams were first-round losers, and no current Cardinal player has seen action in the tournament, five - Harbour, Andy Poppink, Bart Lammersen, Warren Gravely and Todd Manley - were members of the 1991-92 squad and suited up in the 80-75 loss to Alabama in Cincinnati.

"As freshmen, we were just excited to be there," Poppink said. "There's so much commotion. It's a little overwhelming."

Added Lammersen, "The biggest difference I remember is the atmosphere. There's just energy all over the place."

In addition to being co-captains, Poppink and Lammersen are now fourth-year juniors and insist teammates are hungry for a victory. Stanford's last tournament win came in 1942, when the Cards beat Dartmouth for the national championship.

"We've talked about it," Poppink said. "We don't want to be satisfied going to the tournament. You don't know when that chance might come again."

While UNC-Charlotte looks to Lang, Patterson and 7-0 senior center Jermain Parker, the most prolific shot blocker in school history, the Cards lean on Harbour and Brevin Knight. Considering the lack of familiarity, talented point guards usually have an advantage in games like this, and Knight figures to play a key role.

"Guard play is always critical when you're playing teams you don't know much about," Montgomery said. "They're (49ers) going to make Brevin a priority, no question. We can't go dead in the water."

Freshman center Tim Young continues to improve and has pulled down at least 11 rebounds in three consecutive games. What Stanford needs most is a strong contribution from off-guard Dion Cross, the Pac-10's top 3-point shooter. In the last two games, he's converted only two of eight attempts.

"We need to get Dion shooting like he did earlier in the year," Montgomery said.

The Cards could also use a faster start. In the last four games they've fallen behind early, and overcame a 15-point deficit against Washington last Saturday night.

"It's a matter of us taking advantage of the opportunity and playing like we're capable of playing," Montgomery said. "It's an incredible deal. We have to get leadership from everybody." &lt;